Renditions
by FakerKing
Summary: Various one-shots produced by my ever wandering mind. Either they be re-writes, or totally original.
1. Resolve

_Thwack._

Bone met bone with extreme force.

_Crunch._

A kick connected, sending a body straight up into the air.

_Thwump._

An ax-kick was delivered to said airborne object.

_Boom._

The beaten and bruised boy landed in a crater of gravity's own making, nearly breaking his spine. His clothes were torn, dirty, and stained with sweat and blood, all his own. Black hair frazzled, looking not unlike a used bird's nest.

Across from him, another figure, female, landed gracefully, shining, silver hair swaying from the motions. In stark contrast to the male, her clothes were still in a mostly-pristine condition, not a bit of dirt marring her pale skin.

Slitted, red eyes peered into what had once been the same, but now round, hazel orbs. Cold and calculating meeting warm and submissive in a gaze neither wanted to break.

"Tsukune..." the surprisingly low, intoxicating voice of the female began. "This is no good."

Brown orbs widened briefly for a moment, before going back to normal. He hadn't been expecting praise for his performance in the spar, but neither did he foresee such harsh judgment, either. Blood leaked at the side of his mouth, evidence of the abuse he had taken in the attempt to make himself stronger.

"You have vampire blood, so you should have the aptitude to become stronger. Originally, you were dutiful, learning what I taught quickly. However..."

A slight melancholy look overtook the young male's face, as if daydreaming about a bittersweet memory that could have been.

A hard edge crept into the silver-haired female's words. "They're _light_. Your fists, which lack resolve. That is your weakness. You neither have the will to hurt, nor the intent to kill. Both necessary to win, yet you don't wield either."

The already hard glare turned icy. "**Who are you planning to defeat**?" she whispered angrily, daring the boy in front of her to answer.

The gaze which had been held to this point was broken by the beaten boy, averting his line of sight to the ground, the previous melancholic look flattening into a depressed visage. He knew everything she said was right, and there was nothing to say in his defense.

"Moka-san..." he began, before stopping to cough. That last kick had been brutal, and his lungs knew it. "I honestly don't know."

Crimson eyes blinked in surprise. Had she honestly heard right? The young man she was attempting to train didn't know what he was training for? Had all her time been wasted trying to make a soldier out of a pacifist? Her eyes narrowed in anger. Not the icy type that froze those who dared to look, but an overwhelming inferno that promised pain.

Noticing the reaction, Tsukune started talking. "It's not that I don't know why I'm fighting. It's just...I don't want to ever again hurt any one of my friends."

The last part was almost a whisper, but the sharp ears of the vampire had heard them. She watched impassively as the 'human' male rubbed at his right wrist where his holy lock, a link of many chains interconnecting with a padlock at the end, resided, keeping his sanity in check. If said lock were to ever be broken, the vampire blood inside of him, Moka's own, would warp him into a ghoul, a being on par with a vampire in terms of power, but without the weaknesses, but more dreadfully, without a mind to govern the killing instinct. In effect, he would become the perfect killing machine, unable to fear, unable to feel, unable to stop.

"Then what is the use of what I've been trying to teach you, Tsukune?" the vampire questioned, tone slightly softened.

"To protect all of you." he responded. "To bare the burden, no, the honor of becoming a shield that won't let harm reach my friends."

A few moments of silence ensued, Moka's 'inner' personality wearing an emotionless mask, Tsukune's face downcast. The stillness was shattered when an abrupt bark of laughter rang out, capturing the vampire's attention. With tears streaming down his dirt-covered face, he laughed loudly and freely, the traditional sound of those broken down and so laugh so to not cry, which in turn would lead to depression.

"But how am I supposed to do that when I can't even protect me from myself?" he semi-giggled, finding the thought ludicrous. "What use is a shield that's just as likely to turn on the person it defends as to protect it?"

"A broken shield, huh? So that's what I've been using?"

Tsukune quieted his noise-making to hear the words of what he considered his dearest friend, though the tears didn't stop, and the smile was still present.

Moka's frame shook silently, before the lowest of chuckles could be heard emanating from her chest. Gradually, the chuckles turned into laughs, and then full out guffaws. Confused, Tsukune kept quiet, until the stress became too much and he joined her in the merrymaking. It felt so _right_, just sitting there, wallowing in disguised misery.

After the laughter died down a bit, the male rubbed at his left cheek with his hand. It didn't do much, other than spread the grime, sweat, and tears around his face more. But it did make him feel somewhat less pathetic.

"You're right, Moka-san. Absolutely right." He chuckled out, an amused grin tugging at his lips, eyes shining. "I'm nothing but a broken shield, useless to those needing protection, worthl-"

_**CRACK**_.

His eyes stared blankly at horizon in front of him, half his vision filled with earth, the other with sky. It took him several seconds of lying on his side to realize what had happened. And then the pain made itself known. Lifting his hand to the angry, red mark now adorning the left side of his face, he looked to his attacker.

"M-moka-san...?" the teenager questioned, shock evident in his voice.

Said vampire marched to his prone, crumpled form, a look of sheer fury plastered to her face. Lifting the boy up by his neck, the girl forced him to look straight into her burning eyes.

"Where's Tsukune..." she growled, "and what have you done with him?"

When he didn't answer immediately, the vampire shook him violently. "**ANSWER ME**."

"I'm right here...?" said human replied in a small voice.

"NO! Where's **Tsukune**?" the vampire once again demanded, throwing him a few yards away. "The Tsukune I know isn't this pathetic. The Tsukune I know isn't this wrong. The Tsukune I know isn't this fearful. **THE TSUKUNE I KNOW ISN'T THIS WEAK**!" she roared.

"B-but, Mo-" he stammered, fighting his way into a kneeling position.

"Don't you even _think_ of speaking my name, imposter. I'll give you one more chance before I take your head off. Answer me truthfully, and I'll only leave you crippled. Where. Is. Tsukune."

"I'm right...here..."

"Wrong answer."

In the blink of an eye, she was in front of him, one leg raised high in the air, violet energy wrapped around the appendage, visible to the naked eye. Like a weapon of divine judgment, poised to strike down the heathen that dared to raise their voices against the gods. In fear, he closed his eyes, waiting for the end.

An end which never came.

Feeling strong, gentle arms wrap around him, the boy opened one eye slightly, before both once again opened in total shock.

"M-m-moka-san...?"

"Quiet."

"B-bu-"

"I said QUIET." the epitome of beauty growled into his ear, squeezing him a little harder with her arms.

Scared, and more than a little confused, the boy-turned-ghoul complied. Instead of being annihilated from the face of the earth, he had somehow been graced with a second shot at life. Instead of being crushed to a pulp, he was being enveloped in the arms of the holder of his affections.

"You're such an idiot, sometimes." she said, voice soft, tender, barely above a whisper. Like that of a mother holding her only precious child who managed to hurt themselves in a bout of folly. "You focus so much on your flaws, that you never take time to look at the traits that really define you. The good ones that matter."

"But what good are those t-traits if I'm w-worthless?" the boy choked. Tears once again started gathering at the brim of his eyes.

"You are _not_ worthless." she hissed, biting his neck, but not breaking the skin. When she was sure he wouldn't speak again, she let go and nuzzled her face into the crook of his shoulder, not unlike a cat expressing its love for its familiar. "You are the most forgiving, patient, kind, humble, enduring, loving man I have ever known. And that is strength. Yes, you may be naive. Yes, you may not always think before acting, but you are _not_ worthless, and you never will be."

Reaching up his back to the back of his head, she rotated it so she could look him straight in the eye. "Is that understood?"

Tsukune couldn't do anything but nod his head. His voice wouldn't work, and every time he tried to breathe, his body trembled. Before he knew it, tears were once again streaming down his face, dripping off his chin.

"Oh, Tsukune." Moka mumbled, drawing his body closer to hers, ignoring the salty liquid gathering along the side of her neck and into her clothing. "My poor idiot, Tsukune."

They stayed like that for about half an hour, Tsukune silently sobbing into the girl's shoulder, Moka whispering comforting words into his ear and rubbing his back. It had been far too long since the last time he was able to let everything out.

When the last of the tears had fallen, he felt absolutely exhausted, as is the normal feeling after venting emotion in such a way. Despite that, he knew that Moka had offered him a shoulder to cry on, and to stay any longer would wear on her patience. So with a little regret, he gently tried to extract himself from the embrace, only to be pulled back into the vampire's warm, soft body.

"It's nice like this, 'neh, Tsukune?" she asked in a light voice.

Deciding to be totally honest with himself for once, said male nodded, a light flush dancing across his cheeks.

Once again, she brought his face to hers, and to his surprise she had a few tears of her own dripping down her visage, smiling softly.

"This stays between us, alright?" the girl asked, a playful lilt in her voice.

"Yes, Moka-san."

"Moka."

The boy looked at her in confusion. Surely he had heard wrong. Moka's inner side surely wouldn't let him get away with addressing her on such familiar terms.

"I'm sorry...?"

"I said: you can call me Moka. There's no longer any need for honorifics, Tsukune. After all, we are friends, right?"

"Moka..." deciding he liked the way it rolled of his tongue, he nodded. "Yes, Moka. We're friends."

"Good." and with that, she lightly pecked his cheek with a small kiss, moving back into place so fast that he almost didn't see it. Putting his hand to his cheek for what must've been the hundredth time that day, he blushed slightly, a dumbfounded expression making its way to the surface.

"Yes." she repeated to herself, licking her lips, a blush dusting her cheeks. "Very good."

Standing up, she started walking away. "I don't know about you, Tsukune, but I'm not particularly fond of wearing clothing that's been used as a hanky."

Nodding dumbly, the stood up and followed his friend, no, best friend back to the entrance of Paradise.

* * *

><p><em>Crack Crack Crack.<em>

Bone met bone in a flurry of strikes, each blocked and countered with speed faster than most eyes could follow.

_Thump Thump Smack_.

Fist met fist, leg met arm, and leg met leg in the time-honored dance of combat.

_Thwump._

One of the participants wasn't able to react in time, receiving a roundhouse to the gut. They staggered back a couple of feet before tripping onto their rear.

Surprised red met red. An arm was extended to help the fallen up.

"Very good." Moka said, accepting her companion's gesture. "But will you be able to do it again?"

A smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth, revealing an enlarged canine. Not many could tell, but after being around her for so long, Tsukune heard the warmth, affection, and even a touch of pride in the praise.

"Only one way to find out, _sensei_." he responded, his own cocky smile in place.

It had been a month since his breakdown. A month since his will had been snapped. A month since he had been admonished and brought back.

A month since he vowed never to let his resolve be shaken ever again.

* * *

><p>AN: And that's a wrap, folks. Hope you enjoyed. R&R and all that good stuff.

ShadowFaux, out.


	2. AngelSan

Alright, peeps. These little babies are what the plot bunnies made in my head, and as you all know, the only way to get rid of an idea is to use it. Without further ado, the first drabble: Angel-san.

XXXXXXX

"Do you believe in ghosts?" a boy asked out of the blue, hazel eyes hooded under black hair.

"'Eh?" his companion asked, green eyes widening. Her pink hair swayed from side to side as they walked down one of Yokai Academy's many hallways. "That's a bit random, Tsukune."

The average-looking boy rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand, his trademark 'nervous' gesture.

"Well, it's just that..." he started. The girl to his side tilted her head, waiting for an explanation.

"Well, if monsters exist, then why not spirits, too? It would make sense, wouldn't it?" a jingling was heard as he rubbed his neck a bit harder, a silver chain glinting in the light, secured in place by a padlock. "Or is that a little too far-fetched?"

"Now that you mention it..." the school beauty muttered, putting a finger to her lips in a 'thinking' pose.

"Moka-san?"

"How would you like to summon one directly?"

"Summon what?"

"A ghost."

XXXXXXX

Far past school hours, deep in the heart of the academy, in a darkened room with the curtains drawn, Tsukune Aono and Moka Akashiya stood around a single desk. Upon the surface sat a board with all the basic letters, the words 'yes' and 'no, and the numbers '1' through '9'.

"Moka-san..."

"Yes, Tsukune?"

The male sighed. "What is this?" He flatly asked.

"It's a spiritual device called 'Angel-san'. She replied, placing a coin on the board. "We put our fingers on it, ask any question, and watch this coin spell out the answer. Even though it looks really simple, it's really accurate."

"And where did you get this?"

"Yukari lent it to me."

"Ah..."

He looked at the square piece of cardboard, wondering how such a device could be useful. Shrugging, the boy put his left finger on the coin. The pink-haired girl mirrored his actions, slightly blushing as the two appendages touched.

"WAIT!"

Surprised, the two teenagers jumped. Unfortunately for Tsukune, this caused him to trip over a chair behind him, sending the back of his head into contact with a desk, producing a sickening 'smack', before falling to the floor and once again wacking his head against the floor.

Immediately, Moka was next to him, carefully checking to make sure he was still alive.

"Kurumu...you're an idiot..." a soft, monotone voice commented.

"Yeah! Now Tsukune's hurt! ~desu!" a higher-pitched, exuberant voice agreed. "Maybe if those gigantic boobs of yours contained some brain cells, this wouldn't have happened!"

"Quiet, pip-squeak!" Kurumu Kurono shot back, violet eyes flashing dangerously. She ran her hand through her blue hair, striking a sultry pose. "I'll have you know my breasts are the envy of all females in this school. What with them being so big and soft, no male can resist them. A flat-chested, little girl like you can't even begin to compare to somebody like me!"

"Stop picking on Yukari, already." said the third girl. Violet orbs clashed with ice-blue. "Besides, everybody knows mine are better. Right, Tsukune?" she asked, looking at the injured boy.

"..."

"Why are you three here, anyway?" Moka asked shooting them an angry glance.

"Well, I saw you two sneaking around, and couldn't let you steal away my Destined One!" Kurumu said, a fierce expression on her face.

"Funny. I thought you claimed my Mate of Fate as your Destined One."

"You're both wrong, Kurumu, Mizore!" Yukari shouted, making Tsukune wince in pain. "Tsukune belongs to Moka! And when they're both married, I too shall join them in bed, the meat in a sandwich of love! ~desu!"

"Like hell that will happen!" the other two shouted/said.

"Girls, girls!" said object of affections cried, waving his hands to calm them down. "Let's not fight! Come on!"

"Humph."

"So, what were you two doing, anyway?" Mizore asked, looking curiously at the vampire and human.

"Tsukune and I," Moka emphasized the 'I'. "Were about to summon a spirit to see if they were real. That is, until we were interrupted."

"Hold on a second. Don't you know if you do such a thing so carelessly, you could end up cursed?" Kurumu asked. "That, and do either of you know how to sense spirits?"

"C-cursed?" Tsukune stuttered, blanching.

"Yep! Cursed, ~desu!" the tiny witch said. "Whatever the board says, you have to do! Or else bad things'll happen, ~desu!"

"Well, how bad can it be?" the snow-woman queried, putting her finger on the coin. "You guys gonna do this thing, also?"

The group shifted slightly, before all of them joined Mizore at the desk.

"Angel-san, Angel-san. Please speak." Yukari softly chanted.

The group fidgeted nervously while waiting for the coin to do something.

"It's not moving..."

"Are you sure this thing works, Moka-san?"

"I bet it was just an excuse to get close to Tsukune."

"You can't rush Angel-san, ~desu!"

"Shut it, you li-"

With a sharp jerk, the coin began moving, shocking everybody present. Slowly, it the coin moved around the board, spelling out words.

"Touch...Kurumu's...breast..."

The group, as one, looked at the succubus.

"You moved the coin." Mizore flatly stated.

"I did not!" the accused denied, flushing. "B-besides! If we don't do it, we'll be cursed!"

Before anybody could do anything, the frenzied girl grabbed Tsukune's hand, lifted up her blouse, and immediately shoved the appendage to her exposed bra. Said boy promptly began bleeding from his nose.

"YOU COW!" Yukari cried, bringing out her wand. A second later, Kurumu was lying face down on the floor, a metal basin sitting on the back of her head.

"The coin's moving again..."

Immediately, they gathered around to see what the board was going to say.

"Make...babies...with...Mizore..."

….

"That's so absurd..." the girl in question muttered.

"You moved it this time, didn't you, Mizore-chan?" Moka questioned.

"Don't be stupid." she replied. "Even I didn't expect to do it with Tsukune at this moment."

"Why does it have to be Tsukune?" Kurumu cried, arms flailing wildly. "You just want him all to yourself. That's it, isn't it?"

"Moron." the ice-girl sighed. "Only males can procreate with women. And Tsukune's the only one here. "

"Bu-but..."

"That, and Kurumu and I are the same." slowly, she began to lower her underwear. "If it's with Tsukune, I'm fine with giving him my first. Besides, I don't him to get cursed just because we didn't do something..."

"WHATEVER! JUST PUT YOU PANTIES BACK ON!" a freaked out Tsukune shouted, doing his best not to drop unconscious. His nerves couldn't handle any more of this...

"I wonder if Angel-san will give me a perverted order, too, ~desu."

'_Somebody is definitely moving the coin_.''Moka thought. '_If things keep going this way, I won't have my chance..._'

Just then, the coin began moving again.

"Fre...nch...Kiss...Moka..."

…

"Ahahahaha..." said girl's shoulders were shaking.

"M-moka?"

"**WE'RE CURSED**!" she yelled, throwing the desk clear across the room. "**I'M CURSED! CURSED, I TELL YOU!**"

"Moka! What are you doing?" Kurumu cried, trying to calm the vampire down. "If you do that, Angel-san will..."

"Eh?" Tsukune questioned when Moka grabbed his hand. With a sudden jerk, his hand passed over her chest.

_Chink._

Suddenly, the room was filled with the oppressing aura of her true power. Pink hair turned silver, green eyes gained red irises, and facial features angled.

"_**So**_?" the inner personality questioned.

"_**I wanted to see if I was cursed...**_" she said, touching her lips. "_**Does anybody want to kiss me**_?"

'_Scary.'_ The other girls thought, backing away slightly.

"If you really don't mind..."

Absolute silence engulfed the room. Not a whisper of breath was heard, as if waiting for the doom that was sure to fall upon the fool that had uttered those words.

"_**Tsukune...**_" Moka's inner side hissed, a blush erupting on her cheeks.

'_Oh shit..._' were the words that flashed through his mind when the reality of what was going on sunk in. In all honesty, he hadn't meant to actually vocalize his thoughts while rubbing his neck. She had looked so enticing. That, and he couldn't help but notice the glint of hope that flitted through her eyes.

The almighty vampire stalked towards the frozen human. Even if the girls had wanted to help the unfortunate male, their bodies wouldn't move.

"_**I don't know if I should knock your head off your shoulders, or dismiss those words as the folly of a fool.**_" she whispered darkly, glaring straight into the boy's hazel eyes. "_**Explain yourself.**_"

'_Shitshitshitshitshit. I'msoooooooooofuckingdead._'

"_**I'm waiting, Aono.**_"

"Well, y-y-you s-sss-seeee."

Mentally, the vampire grinned. He looked so cute flustered. Not that she would ever tell him that. Still, that didn't mean she couldn't have a little more fun...

Grabbing the back of his head with both hands, she brought his face closer to hers so that only they could hear her next words.

"_**You know, this will be my first kiss.**_"

Taking advantage of his slack-jawed expression, she mashed their lips together, shoving her tongue down the stunned boy's throat. She licked at all the available tissue, running the pink appendage in his mouth walls and over his teeth. Sucking slightly at his lower lip, the vampire bit down lightly, releasing some of his blood, shivering in delight at the taste.

Pulling back after a few seconds, a string of pink-tinted saliva connected their rapidly bruising lips, before it was gotten rid of with a swipe of the female's tongue.

"_**Not bad**_." the vampire said, smirking. Her Outer side would be furious, but she'd get over it. As far as the others...well, they knew better than to try anything.

Suddenly, Tsukune's weight shifted, causing her to become the sole bearer of his weight. Looking into his glazed eyes, she smiled.

Her kiss had been the final straw, sending him into the land of unconsciousness.

XXXXXXX

And that's a wrap for this one, folks. Look forward to another one soon!

ShadowFaux, out.


	3. First Encounters: Redux

Ah...the most intoxicating feeling of power. The might to play with people's lives as I see fit. Not A god am I, but THE GOD I am. For the second drabble: First Encounter: Redux.

* * *

><p><em><span>Tsukune's POV<span>_

I looked out the window of the bus, watching the landscape pass before me. Even now, I felt a little homesick. It didn't help that I was being sent off to some God-forsaken place that not even Google Maps knew the location of. If it wasn't for my horrific failure to enter a few of the nearby high-schools, it wouldn't have been so bad. But somehow, I managed to fail not only one, not two, but three entrance exams to the only high-schools in the area. I k'new I wasn't exactly the sharpest light-bulb in the shed, but that didn't mean I was stupid. I mean, I got Cs all throughout my middle-school career. That's something to be damn proud of, considering the average person's intelligence is below even that! I mean, hell, one of my classmate's managed to get into the most prestigious high-school around here, and he was a D student for crying out loud! Seriously, what the hell? Did I piss some deity off? The only reason I was coming to this school ws because it was a no-questions-asked kind of place, and my dad just so happened to chance upon a flier for it that dropped some weird priest's robe.

The guy who was driving me to my destination wasn't exactly helping things either. Muttering strange things such as: '_Better be careful, boy. Youkai Academy can be a very scaaaaary place.'_ and off-the-wall death jokes. And his eyes. They _**glowed**_ for chrissakes! Normal eyes don't do that! Then again, normal people didn't have shadows covering half their face.

My dad would be so dead when I get back for summer break.

"W**e**_'r**e ****h**_**e**re, **b**_**o**y_." the a fore-mentioned bus driver said, sending a tingle down my spine. Apparently, I had managed to get lost in my thoughts long enough to miss the entirety of my trip. Damnit. Now I wouldn't be able to escape by myself if need be.

Looking out the window once again, I felt myself blanch. _THIS_ was where I was to be going to school? I mean, it was a nice sunny day, and the sky was blue, but that's where happy thoughts ended. What I guessed to be an ocean, or very large sea, spread out before my sight. Not uncommon, really. But it was RED. Seriously, since when is water red? And that was the least of my worries. There were skulls, both large, small, broken and whole littering the ground. And not all of them looked human. Some had fangs, others freakishly large teeth, and still others with none. Was that a graveyard I spied behind some dead-looking trees?

I could spy what looked like a mansion in the distance on the side of a cliff. Between me and it was a forest that curved inward, and then brought itself back out to the building.

"_**Y**_o_**u**_** g**e_tt**i**_**n****g **o_**f**_**f, **_**b**oy_?" his eerie voice said again.

Sighing, I stepped off the bus. It couldn't be all that bad, right? As if to mock my thoughts, a flash of lightning came out of the cloudless sky, scaring me witless.

I turned and gave Bus Driver (as I resolved to call him) a slight bow with an offering of thanks. The chuckle I received in return didn't necessarily give me warm feelings, but, some people were entitled to their eccentricities.

The bus closed its doors, gunned the engine, and took off to places unknown, leaving me alone. Oh well. Best get to the school and let them know I'm here.

I walked towards a what seemed to be a dirt path that lead through the foreboding forest. A spike with a jack-o-lantern held a sign simply reading 'To Youkai Academy'.

I really wished Kyouko was with me... she was the brave one, not me.

_Ching Ching_.

"Ah! Watch out!"

_'Huh?'_

I turned to see a really beautiful pink-haired girl, with the brightest jade-green eyes I had ever seen and exquisitely pale skin. As I turned around, I also came crotch-to-tire with the bicycle she was riding.

The next thing I knew was the pain of losing thousands of potential children, the feeling of being thrown into the sky, and grabbing a sharp object in my hand as I heard a '_Chink_'. An absolute feeling of dread came over me, and I resolved to change my clothing when I first was able to.

XXXXXXX

_Moka's (outer) POV_

Honestly, I was a bit nervous coming to this academy. My previous school hadn't been so welcoming of me, and I feared I would get the same kind of treatment here as I did there. It wasn't that I was a bad person. I was just...different. Humans didn't tend to look kindly on those who claimed to be something else. Especially if that something else just so happened to be something that A) Was thought to not exist, and B) be told as horror stories to scare little children into behaving. Vampire's weren't the most favorably looked upon by any person, or thing. That, and who ever heard of a vampire with pink hair? Or the kindest, shyest, meekest disposition that anybody had ever seen? It wasn't unheard of to meet and affable vampire, but an actively kind one? Nope. Hell would freeze over before that ever happened.

Lucifer was still giving me grief over turning down the thermostat on that last visit. Apparently, -273.15 celsius didn't sit well with the fallen angel.

So, here I was, riding on my (pink) bicycle, trying to make it to class on time. It wouldn't look good to be late on my very first day of high-school. A high-school dedicated to monster-kind, where we would be taught to live in co-existence with humans, the only race actually capable of annihilating everything in their path.

Don't get me wrong, not all humans are bad. Just the vast majorities of the one's that I've meant seemed overly-keen on destroying anything that didn't particularly agree with them, if my time at that middle-school had been any indication.

Again, I really hoped I could make some friends at this new school. Being alone (besides the occasional murder attempt by my younger half-sister) wasn't really good for one's mental health, and I didn't particularly like the thought of being alone for three years in this place.

Suddenly, I felt light-headed. I had been in such a rush to get here, I totally forgot to get a blood-packet before leaving. You see, being a vampire and all, we needed to supplement our own blood with the blood of others to provide us with the necessary nutrients to live. Without it, we would become weaker as time went on, and eventually, die.

Regaining some form of control over my spinning vision, I noticed an average looking boy with dull, black hair. Frantically, I began playing with the little bell on my handlebars. He turned around, and I caught a glimpse of dull, hazel eyes, and an incredibly average face, if a little nervous. His eyes lit up when he saw me, and his expression shifted from nervous, to surprised, to what could be described as 'oh crap'.

A second later, I heard an odd 'crunch', was sent into the air like a bird, and felt a tug at my neck and a sharp '_Chink_'.

Shit.

XXXXXXX

_Moka's (inner) POV_

Asleep.

That's what I had been for the past five years. Stuck in this dark, lonely, luke-warm place. It didn't help that I was naked, either. Whoever sent me here must've really hated me. I wonder what I did to piss them off?

Vaguely, I was always aware of what was going on outside. Watching as my other 'personality' kept us living through this life as a doormat. It wasn't as if she was doing a 'bad' job, just an incredibly degrading one to a vampire. I really don't understand how she managed it. What with the sadness I always felt coming from her. Hopefully, this new place we were going to would change all that. Even if I could care less about having these things called 'friends', apparently she needed them, and her emotions were linked to mine, giving me that annoying ache in my chest.

I really must've pissed somebody off.

Though, I was feeling a bit excited myself, returning to the monster world. No more of the so-called 'humans' to mock us, nor anybody to put Omote down. Well, I hoped it to be so. I wasn't too fond of feeling her emotional pain.

Noticing the outside spin a bit, I huffed when I realized she was experiencing the side-effects of anemia. Intelligent and kind she may be, she was still a ditz, constantly forgetting to take care of herself in some way. I honestly don't know how we managed to survive under her management.

When the world came-to, I noticed we were heading straight towards an unimportant looking male. I also noticed that Omote wouldn't be able to stop in time. Sighing, I merely observed what would happen. I chuckled when she tried to get his attention to move, and openly laughed at his look of surprise. I did feel a bit of sympathy when the tire of the bike made contact with his special place, but it kinda served him right, not reacting quick-enough.

The next thing I knew was the feeling of going airborne. That wasn't right. Never in my time here had I ever felt anything physical. The next thing I noticed was the feeling of gravity dragging me back down. Shocked, I opened my eyes, only to see brown.

The next instant had me eating a mouthful of dirt. Not the most pleasant of breakfasts after being sealed for so long, though it did beat my cooking by a long-shot.

Doing my best to at least maintain _some_ dignity, I got up as gracefully as possible (read: like a land-lubber trying to adjust to sea-fairing) and glared at the boy with my most intimidating look (read: like a kitten with a dirty face trying to look innocent). I didn't know what kind of monster he was, but nothing really compared to a vampire in terms of combat ability.

Just looking at him proved to not yield many clues to his identity. In fact, his human transformation was so perfect, if I didn't know better, I'd say he was one. From where I stood, the blood on his knuckles smelled delicious, like that of a human. Or maybe that was the dirt in my nose.

XXXXXXX

_Normal POV_

Tsukune did his best not to cry like a baby. After all, it just wouldn't due to be seen as the weakling that he was in front of a person. Especially a pretty girl, no less. Turning around, he crinkled his eyebrows in confusion. Wasn't the girl supposed to have pink hair, green eyes, and a face that made one think of sunshine?

Blinking his eyes rapidly, he confirmed his thoughts. Those were definitely slit pupils resting inside crimson irises. And the hair was definitely silver. And while the face still looked mostly the same, the expression worn on it was far different.

He probably hit his head harder than he thought.

Then the girl wiggled her nose, sneezed, and all traces of thought were gone bar one.

'_So cu~te_.'

When she refocused her attention on him, he chuckled nervously and held out his never-before-used handkerchief. After all, it wouldn't due for such a pretty girl to have dirt smudged all over her face.

"Ah, sorry about that." Tsukune said, rubbing the back of his neck with his non-occupied hand.

* * *

><p>AN: Hope you enjoyed reading that as much as I enjoyed typing it.

R&R and all that good stuff.

ShadowFaux, out.


	4. True Face Pt 1

So, this little thought was running around in my head: What if Tsukune accidentally looked into the Ririsu mirror? What consequences would become if his true form was brought out, and hidden desires brought to the surface?

* * *

><p><em>'There is no way this is happening<em>.' Moka thought to herself, staring in shock, quivering in..fear? Or was that sadness?

Regardless, what she thought about the situation mattered little. Rather, what she had to do was of the utmost importance. If she failed to act, there was a great possibility that a great many would be killed, including her most precious.

'_**Omote, you need to get to that mirror**_.' 'Inner' Moka said, snapping the shaken vampire back to attention. _'**We need to stop him**_.'

She was right. There was no time to waste.

Moving carefully to stay unnoticed, Moka slipped around the various body heaps littering the area. A sudden crash to her right made the girl wince, but she continued on. The Ririsu Mirror, the accursed object that had caused all this trouble in the first place, was set against a tree not too far off from her current location. Unfortunately, the most malevolent energy she had ever felt was also nearby.

If she was caught by this monster, no, this _demon_ in humanoid form, there would be no escape, for it saw no friend, gave no mercy, and spared nobody.

Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, causing her pink hair to stick to her face. Wide, green eyes looked back and forth attentively, trying to spot her predator, trying to remain unseen.

Things had been going so well until that accursed fairy and its mirror showed up, causing this situation.

_Flashback_

"_Kyuo-san! Watch out!"_

"_M-moka-san?" a scared young woman of about 20 tentatively asked, shivering in fear. This was too much! Being chased around by..by things that moments ago had looked like perfectly normal people!_

"_Ah, thank goodness. You're alright." Moka sighed in relief, reaching down to help the human female up to her feat._

_SLAP_

_Shocked, green eyes met frightened hazel._

"_Kyou-san...?"_

_Kyouko stood up, shivering in fear, arms wrapping around herself for any sense of comfort. "I won't be d-deceived an-any more."_

"_K-"_

"_**YOU'RE ALL MONSTERS, AREN'T YOU? IF YOU ARE, DON'T COME NEAR ME!**"_

"_Damnit..." A light voice griped, making itself known. "How dare you interrupt someone's meal..."_

_Looking around, both women were shocked to see that they had been surrounded by a few dozen monsters, most of which looked rather hungry. And at the forefront was a fairy sitting atop a mirror, floating in mid-air._

"_It was easy to enslave all these violent monsters to my power, after causing all that confusion. You have no way of escaping. Be good girls and give master your souls~."_

"_We're doomed." Kyouko whimpered. "We've been surrounded."_

"_That's right, little girl. Now, come on. I'm hungry."_

_Closer, the ring of monsters tightened the perimeter, forcing the two females back to back._

_'Damnit.' Moka thought. 'There's nothing I can do without Tsukune to remove my rosary. What to do, what to do?'_

_Quickly scanning the situation again, her eyes landed on the floating mirror. 'That's it!'_

_The horde was almost upon them. If she didn't make her move now, there was no way they would make it. Slowly, Moka crouched, preparing to dash for the fairy._

"_Kyou-chan! Moka-san!"_

"_Tsukii!""Tsukune!" Kyouko and Moka cried/yelled. Help had come!_

"_Tch. Not so fast."_

_Lilith (as was the fairy's name) quickly flew to position herself right in front of Tsukune, mirror in tow. Without a second's notice, she shoved the glowing piece of glass into his face._

_'Huh?'_

_Seconds later, everything within a 20 yard radius was blasted away by the pure darkness that overflowed from the boy. Brown hair bleached the black of hell, hazel orbs mutated into burgundy, round pupils slitting. Dark marks crept up the right side of his neck, splitting at his jaw bone to encase the left and right sides of his face._

_Tsukune Aono, former human, had transformed into a ghoul once more._

_End Flashback_

Things had gone from bad to worse.

Said ghoul had immediately began attacking everything within sight that hadn't been knocked down. Fortunately for Moka and Kyouko, they had been thrown clear away. Kyouko had hit her head, sending the woman into unconsciousness.

Moka, on the other hand, had been flung into a nearby tree, knocking the breath out of her. Fortunately, the Ririsu mirror and its owner had also been thrown with them, landing not too far away. With the ghoul distracted, the sealed vampire very carefully took hold of the mirror and looked at her reflection.

'Show me my true self!'

Almost immediately, another energy signature came into existence. Bright crimson flooded the area, bathing the trees in a sea of light. As this happened, pink hair bled out to silver, and sea-green eyes turned deep crimson, pupils slitting like a cats.

Moka Akashiya, S-Class vampire, had unleashed her power. And the ghoul had noticed.

Turning around slowly, the what was once Tsukune bared his thick, long fangs in a threatening manner. Moka hissed, showing off her own considerably thinner fangs, matching the intimidating gesture.

Swaying slightly to the left, Tsukune grinned...and disappeared.

Ducking forward, Moka barely managed to dodge the hay-maker that had been aimed for her head from behind. Twisting slightly, she spun on the ball of her right foot before firing off a straight kick into the ghoul's gut.

Grabbing said appendage at the shin, the ghoul used the vampire's own power to fling her in an arc to meet the ground. What it hadn't counted on was the other foot that connected with the side of it's face in mid-air, causing him to lose his grip and stagger a few feet away.

Moka huffed, testing the leg that had been grabbed. Tsukune's grip had been extremely powerful. Already, she felt a bruise that would take a day to heal.

Turning her attention once again to the boy, she was slightly startled to see him already back on his feet, smiling manically. Even more unsettling was the look of absolute _hunger_ that emanated from his eyes. Clearly, this _thing_ wanted something from her, and she'd be damned if she gave it to him.

But what really disturbed her was the intelligence his gaze conveyed, almost as if it could think about what it was doing.

This time, Moka took the initiative by dashing forward and launching a fierce high-kick that could crush cement into Tsukune's chest. Her eyes widened in surprise when it was deflected upward by both his fists. Pain erupted in the back of her right thigh when he stepped forward, twisted left, and smashed his right elbow into it.

Instead of backing up, however, the vampire brought her injured leg down on the back of his neck, charged all the youki she could summon into her left leg, and used the connection with his body as leverage to smash her left knee into his right shoulder, crushing it.

Hopping back, Moka created some room between the two. Her right hip had definitely been over-extended, causing several muscles to tear and damage the bone. Nothing three days of rest couldn't take care of, but that was time she didn't have now.

Already, Tsukune had recovered, standing tall, that predatorial grin still painted on his face.

"_**Damn you, Tsukune.**_" she growled. "_**Don't you know that only my mate may touch me there**_?"

Feeling incensed, the vampire flared all the energy she had, creating a pillar of red with her at the epicenter, illuminated by the waves of power stretching outwards.

Likewise, her opponent flared his own energy, a vortex of solid black reaching towards the heavens, casting his features into shadow, the sheer malevolence of said energy dwarfing the feeling of the vampire's.

At some unspoken signal, they both crouched, before dashing at each other, the distance quickly disappearing between the two.

Stopping short of her opponent, Moka spun on the ball of her left foot like a ballerina, hopped, and put everything she had into a reverse hook-kick.

Unfortunately for her, the ghoul had been expecting this, and grabbed her leg at the thigh, and brought her down hard to his knee, breaking the right side of her pelvis.

Crying out in pain, the vampire tried to lash out with a left spear-strike to Tsukune's neck, but without the proper focus, it was easily caught by his own hand. Yanking viciously, her shoulder was dislocated. With another tug, her body was flipped so that she was belly-down on the ground, face smashed into the dirt by his right arm.

Moving quickly, the ghoul maneuvered himself onto her back, grinding his left knee into her right hip with all his weight to completely immobilize her lower half.

Moka Akashiya, proud S-Class Shinso vampire, had been defeated by a ghoul of her own creation.

She dared not move. If she hadn't been killed yet, that meant there was still a chance of escaping the situation.

That thought was put on hold when she felt the body atop her shift, and warm air ghost the back of her neck.

'_**He wouldn't dare..**_'

Fangs, hard and sharp, grazed her pale flesh, scraping lines across it, until they rested above her jugular.

Moka wanted to fight, to stop this fiend from taking her blood, one of the most precious things to a vampire. But, if she moved, her life could be ended in an instant, immortal or not. And even if she didn't fear to die, the pain of her right hip being broken was almost completely paralyzing.

And when Tsukune finally bit down, her mind went completely blank.

* * *

><p>AN: My first real fight scene, so please be gentle? I'd REALLY like feedback in order to make this better.

ShadowFaux, out.


	5. Matters of Life and Death: Cooking Pt 1

Based on Chapter 26 of season 2.

* * *

><p>Fires raged, dancing in the barren wasteland in front of the lone girl. Smoke permeated the air, making it both difficult to breathe and see. Walls had been scorched black, glass cracked and shattered, and the ground left nothing but a mess of rubble and flame.<p>

Tears stinging her eyes, the female wiped at her soot covered face with an equally dirty hand. Sorrow, and a tad bit of guilt, welled up within. It wasn't supposed to have ended like this. All her efforts, wasted, burning like the ashes falling around.

She fought back the urge to cry. Even though her goals had just (literally) crashed and burned right in front of her, nothing would be more shameful than admitting defeat in such a way.

Honestly, she didn't expect her attempt at cooking to be this bad.

The 'inner' Moka Akashiya had many talents. From speaking several languages, to solving incredibly complex mathematical problems in her head, to beating the ever-living snot out of any opponent that dared challenge her.

Unfortunately, her vast repertoire of skills didn't include making the most basic of edible items.

It boggled her mind at how disastrously she failed. Even with a step-by-step guide, multiple tips, and advice from the 'more experienced' (she would never acknowledge that there were people superior to herself), and watching a few videos, Moka had failed utterly. No, that word didn't even begin to scrape the mess off the walls. Catastrophic came much closer to fitting the situation at hand.

Sighing, she looked down at what could be described as burnt sludge in her left hand. The danger senses in her mind, which had been honed by years of training, were screaming their heads off, doing their utmost damned to warn her of the great peril contained on her palm. Steam lightly wafted up from the glob, promising untold horrors to those brave (read: stupid) enough to eat it.

'Perhaps I could use this to get rid of Gin.' she thought, before wrinkling her nose. 'But he could easily smell the danger from a mile away. Maybe force feeding?'

As she quietly mulled over the possibilities, the vampire set the glob down and wiped her hands on the once-white apron, which was now covered in orange, red, gray, beige, and black. In other words, it was totally trashed.

Hearing fire alarms go off in the surrounding rooms (the ones in the Home Ec. Room had been destroyed) Moka decided to leave. Bad enough she had ruined the room, it would do unrepairable damage to her pride if she was actually caught. Quickly and quietly, she slipped through the darkened air, almost invisible. Opening the nearest bathroom door, she walked in with her back to the room, watching for any onlookers.

Her form disappeared just as the first of the responders rushed passed. She kept the door open just a bit to watch as the monsters in human form did their best to put out the inferno. Slowly, but surely, the pushed the fire back with a massive water hose. Shirking back, she fought the urge to hiss. As a pure-blood vampire, pure water was her greatest weakness, and she didn't want to feel like thousands of lightning bolts were slamming into her body. The door was closed quietly, and only then did she allow herself to look at her reflection. She winced.

The bandanna which kept her long, silver hair back was covered in soot, ash, and various ingredients. The hair not under said garment was saturated in a like manner. Her face was painted black, which contrasted eerily with her slitted, red eyes.

Exposed bits of her school shirt, namely the shoulders, collar, and sides had so much gunk that the original color would never be able to be determined again, even after a thorough washing. The mid-thigh plaid skirt she wore got the least punishment, with the apron covering the front, and knee-length hair protecting the back.

Her uncovered arms and legs had been covered in everything, and she didn't even want to think about what could possibly be the cause of the wet, squishy feeling in her shoes.

So engrossed in her reflection, she didn't notice the opening of the bathroom door until a familiar, slightly confused voiced called out to her.

"Moka-san?" a _**boy**_ asked, very noticeably surprised.

"Tsukune?" the inner replied with her own surprised expression, before it turned dangerous. "What are you doing in the girls' restroom?"

Taken aback, the young man brought his hands up nervously, his Holy Lock jingling on his right wrist. "E-ehm, Moka-san. This is the boys' room."

Whirling around, she grimaced when the truth became apparent. She hadn't noticed before, but there weren't as many stalls as usual, and in a corner, a group of oddly shaped tanks hung off the wall. On top of that, the room smelled clean. Not pretty, as the girls' room tended to be, but clean.

Moka's face flushed. Not only had she wandered into this place out of inattention, but she had been caught, disastrous appearance and all. Her pride demanded retribution, but the non-condemning look in Tsukune's eyes and the kind smile killed that quickly. It would be entirely unacceptable to hurt him, especially since he hadn't done anything.

"Moka-san." he softly said. "We should get out of here soon."

Nodding in agreement, she made her way to the door, only to be reminded of her appearance in the mirror. Apparently, Tsukune had noticed her distasteful glance, and shrugged off his jacket, wordlessly handling it over.

Quietly mumbling a small 'thank you', she slipped it around her shoulders.

Seeing that his friend was ready (and trying to keep thoughts about how cute she looked at the moment away), Tsukune offered his hand (which was accepted), and opened the door slightly, checking the coast. Seeing that everybody in the general vicinity was distracted, he opened the door all the way, and quickly 'dragged' his companion with him. Stopping outside the nearest girls' room, he stepped to the side, and waited as the female vanished into the female haven.

Ten minutes, and a few odd looks, later, Moka stepped out, face and legs clean, showing off pale skin. Her hair still contained bits of what had been in it, but, overall, looked much better. Once again, his arm was offered, accepted, and they made their way to the student dorms.

Walking along the well-worn path connecting the main campus with the dormitories, the duo kept a companionable silence, though every once in a while, the male would glance at his friend curiously. The action didn't go unnoticed, and after the fourth time, the female decided she had enough.

"Spit it out, already." she said in a her low, sultry voice. It then turned sadistic. "Or do you have nothing better to do than leer at me like that perverted werewolf. You do know remember my dislike of perverts and what I do to them...?" a dark chuckle escaped her lips.

Tsukune chuckled nervously, breaking out in a light sweat. Saying the wrong thing now would not end pretilly for him. Gin might have been willing to risk it for an up-skirt glance, but Tsukune didn't normally heal as quickly as him. That, and his relationship with this side of Moka wasn't exactly the strongest of ones, either.

"Well, I was kind of wondering..." he rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "What exactly happened back there?"

When she turned to face him, he immediately started to regret it. "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. You're entitled to your privacy after all.."

Moka briefly considered his question. It was honest enough, with no accusation or ill intent. It was simply curiosity, laced with a hint of care.

She sighed in annoyance. "I was trying my hand at cooking." Watching his response, she continued when he nodded. "As you can see, it didn't turn out too well. The oven I was using blew up, the batter mix I attempted to make sent my sister to the infirmary, and everybody except me was knocked unconscious."

A break in the speech. A sigh.

"Maybe I'm just not meant for cooking..."

"Well, at least you're okay." he said. "That, and I'm sure you'll get better at it. You just have to keep trying."

"Do you really think so?" she asked, slight insecurity lacing her voice.

His answer was immediate. "Absolutely."

The then-current personality looked intensely at his face, searching for any signs of deception. Seeing naught but that infuriatingly warm, kind, understanding smile of his, and the look of conviction in his eyes, Moka couldn't help but believe him. She sighed, before leaning against his arm, eyes closed and a content smile on her lips. A light blush adorned her cheeks.

"That's just like you, Tsukune." she mumbled. "Hoping for the best in everybody."

Tsukune blushed slightly at Moka's praise.

And it was true.

Tsukune Aono was what many would call the poster child for the word 'average'. From his dark-brown hair, to his brown eyes, to his plain face, everything about him screamed average. His body was neither built, nor stringy, his height a comfortable median between the two extremes. Grades were, on a good week, C+, and his speech reflected it. In fact, the only thing not average about him, was, as one Yukari Sendo put it, was how average he was.

Under the surface, however, he was far from. His courage surpassed that of a hundred battle-hardened soldiers, his patience and kindness revered by saints. The loyalty he had for his friends and family, second to none. His only fault: indecision.

The only other thing that set him apart was his true nature: a ghoul. No longer human, he gained the powers of the strongest of vampires with none of the weaknesses, all at the cost of his mind. Were the lock on his wrist ever to break, that side would be unleashed.

So, by no means, was he to be considered truly 'average'.

All too soon, the teenagers arrived at a split in the path. One branch led to the boys' dorms, the other to the girls'. Bidding each other farewell, they separated.

* * *

><p>AN: Well, here's the first part of four. Hope ya'll enjoy it. This one is pissing me off a bit, as I have almost everything complete. Just need the last part less repititious, and I'm golden.

Anyway, shoot me off a few reviews, and let me know of any errors. I'm noticing I'm starting to slip a bit.

ShadowFaux, out.


	6. An Apology

Based on chapter three of the first series.

* * *

><p>'<em>I really screwed up<em>.' Tsukune Aono thought to himself as he walked through Yokai Academy's halls..._alone_.

Now, normally, this wouldn't be odd, considering that he couldn't be with friends all the time. What was odd, however, was that he had been walking by himself for the past two days, with no sign of a pink-haired, green-eyes vampire female.

Usually, the two would be seen walking to and from the dormitories, sitting together at lunch, and talking between classes. But no so in the last forty-eight hour period. Not since the incident at the swimming pool.

_Flashback_

_Tsukune Aono sat on his rear, a bewildered look on his face while he rubbed a newly-forming bruise on his cheek, courtesy of a wet, shivering, pissed-off vampire. Instead of warm, green eyes, angry scarlet glared into his own brown orbs._

"_You made her cry." she spat out, grimacing as if in pain. Although that could also have been disgust, with the way she was looking at him. "The other Moka. She cried. Because she's insecure, she blamed herself for not being able to swim."_

_Tsukune furrowed his eyebrows, while looking away. As a respectable male (or, he at least liked to think of himself as one), making a girl cry was unforgivable._

"_Somebody like you, who only thinks of himself, has no right to come anywhere near me."_

_Slowly, she stood up, rising to her full height. Water dripped from her clothing and silver hair, forming a small puddle beneath her._

"_Stay out of my sight, Tsukune."_

_And with that, she walked away._

_Flashback End_

Truly, he felt terrible. Those words had cut deep, made all the worse because they were so _true_. He hadn't noticed her discomfort, an attributed her odd behavior to her having an off day. And because of his mistake, he had probably lost one of his best friends.

'_I may not gain her forgiveness_.' he thought. '_But I still have to try to make it right._'

XXXXXXX

Moka Akashiya felt like, for lack of a better term, absolute crap. Her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, her muscles ached, she could barely move without wanting to go back to sleep immediately. Yes, the vampire was not feeling very energetic.

But what truly made her feel bad was the fact that her other side had ripped Tsukune a new one, potentially destroying their friendship. Moka was fond of the human boy (a little more so than was considered proper), and she didn't want to see her friend go on a sour note.

She didn't want her first real friend to leave her life forever.

So lost in thought, the girl didn't notice the knocking on her door until a familiar voice called out her name.

XXXXXXX

'_I hope this works_.'

Tsukune had made his way to the outside of Moka's dorm room after the final class of the day had ended. He didn't know if his plan was going to do anything worthwhile, but he still had to try. After all, what kind of person would he be if he didn't do his damnedest to make things right?

He prepared himself for the daunting task by closing his eyes, taking a deep breath, holding it, then letting it go.

'_Here goes everything..._'

He cringed when his knuckles made contact with Moka's door, the sound seemingly amplified in his ears. He could've sworn it was loud enough to wake the dead.

After a few moments of absolute silence, the boy tried again.

'_Maybe she isn't here?_'

The thought made him frown. Even though he could've been considered close with the girl, he still didn't know much about her, or the places where she liked to frequent. If she wasn't in her room, then there was no way he was going to be able to find her, and he couldn't spend the entire day looking for her, due to homework and whatnot.

Again, he tried once more. "Moka-san?"

This time, the quiet shuffling of clothing told him that somebody was indeed in her room. When the door opened, a familiar pink-haired vampire was shown in her PJs, briefly eliciting a smile from the boy's face, before it was wiped off at the remembrance of why he was there.

"Tsukune?"

"Moka-san..."

Immediately, Tsukune dropped to his knees, bent his waist, and all but slammed his forehead into the ground at Moka's feet.

"Tsukune? What are you doin-"

"Moka-san!" the boy interrupted, lifting his eyes briefly to her face for a moment."Please, before saying anything, please listen to me."

Said girl didn't know what to think of the situation, so she dumbly nodded.

"I would like to apologize for hurting you the other day. I was being selfish, and was not thinking about how uncomfortable you were, despite all the signs you were showing. I know it may not mean much, but I would like to make up for it in any way possible."

Silence.

Then giggling.

Confused, Tsukune looked back up into the girl's face, only to see her mouth covered by her hand, tears in her eyes, and choked giggles trying to make their way out into the air.

"Moka-san...?"

"I-I'm s-sor-ry, Tsukune. It's just that y-you look so ridiculous right now."

'_Well, at least she isn't yelling at me..._'

When the vampire finally calmed down, she wiped the gathered tears still clinging to her eyes with the back of her hand, before squatting in front of the prostrate boy. "Ah. Anyway, like I said, you look really silly like that. Please, stand up."

Slowly, the boy did as requested. Now that he thought about it, what he had done was a little over-dramatic, but, still. He'd do just about anything to salvage this friendship, ridiculous or not.

"So..."

Tsukune perked up.

"What's this all about?"

'_Did she not just hear what I said?_'

"I mean," Moka said, waving her hands in front of her. "I know you're here because of the pool incident. But why are you apologizing? It's not like it's your fault."

"But-"

"I never told you I was weak to water, Tsukune."

"Still-"

Her right index finger pressed against his lips, effectively sealing them.

"You aren't to blame for this. Yes, you may not have been paying attention, but I didn't do anything to help the situation, either."

Seeing that he still wasn't convinced, she amended her statement.

"Listen. If you really feel guilty, you can take care of me until I'm back to normal, okay?"

Tsukune sighed, but nodded. If this is what she wanted, he'd do it.

"Tsukune?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

"Huh? Why are you thanking me?"

The vampire fidgeted a little, twiddling with her fingers while looking away with a slight blush. "This is the first time anybody's ever gone this far for me. It really means a lot."

Tsukune frowned. That tidbit of information didn't particularly please him, as it meant she had spent her entire life like that. He briefly clenched his fists, before relaxing. Nothing good would happen by getting angry at the past.

"Tsukune?"

"Yes, Moka-san?"

"Could I, maybe, you know, I'm kinda thirsty, and you smell so good, and.."

He blinked.

Then a small smile appeared. Not one that took up one's entire face, but rather expressed warmth from the very depths of a soul. Carefully, he opened the top two buttons of his shirt and moved the collar over to the side, offering his neck.

Slowly, the vampire nestled her face at the junction of his collar bone.

"Kapu-chuuuuu."

As the somewhat-familiar feeling of his life-blood leaving his body made itself known, Tsukune began to think of what had just happened. Really, he knew she was just trying to make him feel better, but he'd be willing to abide by it, if it made her happy.

'_I swear I'll never let something like this be needed again, Moka_.'

* * *

><p>AN: This one's been sitting in the back of my head for the past week or so. Figured I'd get it out before I lost all motivation to do it. It may seem a bit narmish, but that's just my current suckish writing skills at work. Anyway, hope it's at least somewhat enjoyable.

ShadowFaux, out.


	7. A Kiss from Me to You

The day was a peaceful one. Students of Youkai Academy, a school of monsters for monsters, mixed and mingled after the school day had let out, chattering and generally goofing off. After-school activities didn't take place this day, allowing them to gather into their various groups and cliques.

Amongst them, a girl with long, pink hair could be seen, searching for something. Various unimportant persons throughout the crowd stopped what they were doing to temporarily stare at her in appreciation, or, in the case of insecure females, jealousy. So focused was she upon her task, the girl barely took any notice of the looks, used to the generally unwanted attention directed at herself, or, rather, her figure. Her name was Moka Akashiya, a vampire, a creature considered one of the four most powerful in the monster world. Out of the entire student body, she was considered the most beautiful and desirable, the most sought after. But I digress.

Her green eyes lit up in recognition when a head of purple hair, short and ragged, entered her vision. Slipping by the assorted people around her, she made her way through the crowd towards one of the few actual friends she had in the school.

"Mizore!" the rosette called, gaining the name bearer's attention.

"Good afternoon, Akashiya." the soft-spoken girl breathily intoned, although her blue eyes lit up, clearly a sign of affection.

Noticing a smile that most wouldn't, and a slight blush that adorned the ice fairy's cheeks, Moka couldn't resist. "Did something good happen today?"

"I..." the shy girl looked off to the side, before returning her gaze to her friend. "I got a kiss...from Tsukune."

XXXXXXX

"Have I seen Tsukune?" Kurumu Kurono re-iterated while looking at her friend. Moka nodded, confirming the question.

"Hm...Tsukune..." the busty succubus muttered, tilting her head to the side, causing light blue hair to follow suit. "Well, he did show up a few minutes ago, gave me a few kisses, and left. Why?"

_'So she got kissed, also.'_ Moka frowned slightly at the thought.

Noticing the slightly dejected look on the rose-haired vampire, Kurumu's purple eyes glittered with mischief. "What's the matter, Moka? Do you want one of my Mate of Fate's sweet kisses, too?"

Reddening, Moka looked downward.

"You know, I think I heard him say he was going to see Yukari next to give her one of his _delicious_-" here, the succubus dragged the word out, taunting her species' relative. "kisses. Not that I'm too happy about him treating that little twerp, but I know he'll come back to me for more."

Quickly walking away, Moka set out to find the tiny witch.

Giggling quietly to herself, Kurumu hid her mouth with her hands, before licking at the tips of her fingers, savoring the rich, sweet taste. "Those kisses truly are delicious..."

XXXXXXX

Tracking the young witch hadn't been too hard, considering the fact all she had to do was follow the scent of death and sound of manic cackling. When the magic practitioner was finally in view, it was all Moka could do to not face-palm.

There, sitting in some sort of ritual circle located in her room, the witch was stirring a pot of something that both smelt and looked dangerous, alternating between laughing like a loon and chanting a chant that no muggle, er, 'normal' person could possibly stand without going mad. Which, all things considered, could explain the tiny girl's current state of mind.

Cautiously she entered her friend's/admirer's room, softly calling out the occupant's name. "Yukari?"

No reply was forthcoming, so she hesitantly took a few steps further in until she was finally beside the slightly-less-than-mentally-sound girl.

"Yukari?" she repeated once again, this time tapping Yukari's shoulder.

The tween slowly turned her head, a nervous smile, which twitched sporadically, placed on her lips.

"What are you doing, Yukari?"

"I'm making a new love potion..."

One pink eyebrow quirked up. "Why?"

"So the next time Tsukune gives me kisses, I can make him fall in love with me!"

XXXXXXX

"Many, many kisses happened." Rubi gushed, hugging herself tightly, a prominent blush engulfing her cheeks. "He was quite forward, offering me so many..."

As the older witch went off into a tangent, Moka stared blankly, body slouched forward, shoulders drooping, arms hanging limp. Then she face-palmed.

XXXXXXX

Moka listlessly meandered around the campus with no real destination in mind. All the searching she had done bore no real fruit in her quest. The only thing that had been found was more disappointed in not finding Tsukune and finding out that he had given many more people kisses. It seemed that the only female that wasn't getting a kiss was herself. Hell, he had even given Kokoa a kiss. Which had the effect of making her sit on a gravestone, quietly licking her lips, a far away look in her eyes. Kokoa, her flamboyant little sister, a terror whenever not in her parents' presence, wasn't doing anything remotely destructive. Seriously, this was ridiculous. Tsukune was supposed to be her's, and only her's, to kiss.

Moka shook her head at the thought, blushing. Since when did Tsukune exclusively belong to her?

"Moka!" an excited male voice called, startling the vampire from her thoughts. Turning to face the new arrival, she beheld the object of her thoughts and affections jogging towards her, a brilliant smile adorning his face, short, dark hair shining in the sun, chocolate eyes fixated on her with unabashed adoration.

"Moka." he called her name once again, this time in a lower voice, thick with love.

"Tsukune..."

"Moka?"

"Yes, Tsukune?"

"Moka, are you paying attention?"

"Of course, Tsukune."

"Moka, you're day-dreaming."

"Huh?"

"Snap out of it, Moka."

Shaking her head in confusion, the world shifted subtly, revealing that she had indeed been imagining things. This time, when she looked to the direction of the voice, she still found Tsukune, but now with dulled hair, plain brown eyes, and a slightly higher-pitched voice. However, the smile remained, filled with kindness and sincerity.

"Welcome back, Moka." Tsukune said, chuckling slightly.

The addressed vampire's face lit up in joy, but quickly sobered. "Hi..." she replied, near despondently.

The shift in expression apparently didn't go unnoticed by the boy. "Is something wrong, Moka?"

"Tsukune..." she began. Oh, she really hoped she wasn't being rude. "By any chance, were you giving girls all over campus kisses?"

"Yes." he said, rubbing the back of his head. "In fact, the girls liked them so much, some guys even wanted a few."

"..."

"Why do you ask?"

"Well," she mumbled, looking down and slightly away, blushing. "I want a kiss, too..."

Gently, a hand covered with rougher skin than her own positioned her face to look directly at the owner.

"Of course, Moka." Tsukune said.

Blush intensifying, she closed her eyes expectantly. A moment later, a small, hard, sweet object about the size of a walnut was pushed through her waiting lips, and then the light touch of two fingers before being pulled away.

'Wait, what?'

Opening her eyes, she looked at Tsukune with confusion. The thing that was in her mouth had begun to melt, releasing more of the sweet flavor. The taste seemed extremely familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

"Do you like it?" Tsukune asked, a hopeful look on his face.

Swishing the remaining contents in her mouth and swallowing, she nodded. "I do...but what is it?"

"A kiss."

"..."

"It's a Hershey's Kiss." he elaborated when all he received was a confused look. "My mom sent me a few bags in the mail the other day, and I decided to share them with everybody."

All Moka could do was stare at the boy, dumbfounded. This was what she had been worrying about all day? Chocolate candies?

"Do you want another one?" Tsukune asked, proffering another one of the treats.

Ignoring the alloy-wrapped chocolate, she grabbed him by his school jacket, and pulled her body flush against his, her head tucked under his chin.

"I would..." she said.

"M-moka! Wai-!"

"Thank you for the meal..." she mumbled. And with that, her canines sunk into his neck, piercing a vein to relish a far more enjoyable delicacy.


End file.
